Diane King

Published:07:00Friday 02 June 2017

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It may be Britain’s national dish, but it does seem that we aren’t quite as united in how we actually eat the humble fish and chip supper.

The nation, spends £1.2bn on fish and chips every year, making our way through 382 million portions, in 10,500 fish and chip shops. So a poll by Wren Kitchens aimed to celebrate National Fish and Chip day by finding out the ultimate chip combination.

Overall, the classic salt (37 per cent) and vinegar (41 per cent) is the perfect dressing for the dish; with a generous helping of mushy peas (28 per cent), a dollop of tomato ketchup (25 per cent) and a side of bread and butter (23 per cent).

Rather more clear-cut was the choice between chunky (19 per cent) or thin (4 per cent) chips.

Although it’s the clear overall favourite, the study suggests Wales are the biggest fans of vinegar soaked fish supper, while the South East are more likely to opt for salt-only.

While legend would have you believe Northerners can’t sit down to eat without a tankard of gravy, Yorkshire is in fact the curry sauce capital of the UK, with a “cuppa” being the worthy winner for those in the North East and mushy peas for the North West.

Southerners on the other hand are king of the condiments, with Londoners sticking to ketchup and those in the South West partial to a side of tartar.

But it’s the Scots that have really made the fish and chip dinner their own, with a side that no-one but them seems to have knowledge of.

Scotland is the chippy sauce capital of the UK with one in five Edinburgh respondents saying it is the perfect pairing (washed down with an Irn-Bru of course!).